When the first stars blinked on
The very first stars may have turned on when the universe was 750 million years old.
GRAIL reveals a battered lunar history
Twin spacecraft create a highly detailed gravity map of the moon, finding an interior pulverized by early impacts.
Scientists discover water ice on Mercury
Ice and organic material may have been carried to the planet by passing comets.
Scientists find first evidence of dynamo generation on an asteroid
A meteorite found in Antarctica holds evidence of a once-active dynamo on Vesta.
NASA-JPL director Charles Elachi talks about latest Mars mission
Curiosity is the most ambitious planetary rover mission ever, but it’s just one of the many exploratory projects JPL is undertaking.
River networks on Titan point to a puzzling geologic history
Findings suggest the surface of Saturn’s largest moon may have undergone a recent transformation.
Explained: Near-miss asteroids
What to do in the event of an asteroid streaking toward Earth? Activate the asteroid ‘fire drill.’
Researchers calculate size of particles in Martian clouds of CO2 snow
Mars’ carbon dioxide ‘snowflakes’ are about the size of red blood cells.
Zuber wins faculty’s Killian Award
Planetary trailblazer recognized for ‘extraordinary skills and talent.’
Four from MIT win prestigious Guggenheim fellowships
Doeleman, Hughes, Makan and Yablo among 181 recipients for 2012.
Mysterious electron acceleration explained
Computer simulation identifies source of aurora-causing high-speed electrons in space